Ikaika, a male Hawaiian monk seal pup, was one of the first four... Photo-6817645.92944 - SFGate

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Look carefully

, and you'll see a Hawaiian monk seal blissfully unaware of the big surf near Kahanu Garden in Hāna. If you don't have a zoom lens, your photos of the seals should look like this -- the NOAA Fisheries viewing guidelines say to stay at least 50 yards away from the critically endangered animals.

: When a Hawaiian monk seal shows up on a beach, many are curious to get a closer look, but it's important to give them space while they rest.

Sign of the times

: When a Hawaiian monk seal shows up on a beach, many are curious to get a closer look, but it's important to give them space while they rest.

Photo: Wolfram Burner / Flickr.com, [Creative Commons License]

Sign of the times : When a Hawaiian monk seal shows up on a... Photo-6817649.92944 - SFGate

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The quiet shoreline

of Shipwreck Beach on Lānaʻi is the perfect place for a Hawaiian monk seal to snooze. This one, named Lona, travels between Oʻahu and the isles of Maui County, according to the photographer, citing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The quiet shoreline of Shipwreck Beach on Lānaʻi is the perfect... Photo-6817650.92944 - SFGate

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Saving seals:

Lt. Cmdr. Marc Pickett and Lt. Mark Sarmek wrestle to free an entangled Hawaiian monk Seal at French Frigate Shoals in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, during a 1997b marine debris survey and removal cruise. They were successful, but not all monk seals are so lucky.